Traffic management in the mobile network

Abstract

A control plane load in a mobile network is managed. The mobile network includes a radio access network having a base station adapted for connecting to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) over a radio interface, and a core network (CN). The RAN determines a RAN control plane load, and transmits an information indicative of the RAN control plane load over a mobility management server to a policy server of the CN to initiate a traffic management in the CN based on the RAN control plane load. Related base stations, mobility management servers, and policy servers are disclosed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling a control plane load in a mobile network the mobile network comprising a radio access network (RAN) adapted for connecting to a plurality of user equipments (UEs), and a core network (CN) comprising a policy server for determining communication traffic policy rules, wherein the policy server performs the following steps:
 receiving a policy request indicative of a control plane load information identifying a control plane traffic associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs contributing to a control plane load of the RAN, 
 identifying user plane traffic associated with the control plane traffic, 
 determining a ratio of the control plane traffic to the user plane traffic, and 
 responsive to the ratio exceeding a threshold criterion, initiating a communication traffic management policy in the CN to enforce a reduction of the contribution of the at least one of the plurality of UE to the control plane load of the RAN, wherein initiating the communication traffic management policy in the CN comprises throttling or blocking the user plane traffic associated with the control plane traffic. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the traffic management policy in the CN comprises transmitting a policy response to a policy enforcement function of the CN indicative of a policy to reduce the RAN control plane load. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the policy server retrieves subscriber information with respect to the identified at least one of the plurality of UEs, and wherein initiating the communication traffic policy comprises determining the communication traffic policy based on the control plane load of the RAN and the subscriber information. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further identifying the user plane traffic as resulting from the at least one of the plurality of UEs involved in communication traffic with an application server. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the ratio comprises an overhead ratio and the user plane traffic comprises payload traffic. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the policy server contacts the application server to initiate a change of an application traffic pattern towards the at least one of the plurality of UEs. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the policy server contacts the application server to initiate a change of the application traffic pattern towards the at least one of the plurality of UEs. 
     
     
       8. A mobility management node of a core network (CN) adapted for providing a mobile management for user equipments (UEs) connected to a radio access network (RAN), comprising:
 a first interface adapted to receive from the RAN information indicative of a RAN control plane load, 
 a processor adapted to:
 generate load information indicative of a ratio between a control plane load and a user plane load between an interface of the RAN and the CN, 
 measure a signaling traffic load status associated with the control plane load between the interface of the RAN and the CN, 
 determine a contribution of a UE of the UEs to the control plane load between the interface of the RAN and the CN based on a measurement of the signaling traffic load status associated with user plane traffic of the UE, and 
 
 a second interface adapted to transmit a load report message comprising the RAN control plane load and the generated load information towards the policy server to be used by the policy server of the CN to initiate traffic management of the RAN, wherein the load report comprises information identifying the contribution of the UE to the control plane load between the interface of the RAN and the CN. 
 
     
     
       9. A policy server adapted to determine communication traffic policy rules within a mobile network comprising a radio access network (RAN) adapted for connecting to a plurality of user equipments (UEs), and a core network, the policy server comprising:
 an interface adapted to:
 receive load information identifying a control plane traffic associated with at least one of the plurality of UEs contributing to a control plane load of the RAN, and 
 to transmit a policy response to be enforced by the CN to reduce the contribution of the at least one of the plurality of UEs to the control plane load of the RAN, and a processor adapted to: 
 identify user plane traffic associated with the control plane traffic, 
 determine a ratio of the control plane traffic to the user plane traffic, and 
 generate the policy response based on the RAN control plane load responsive to the ratio exceeding a threshold criterion, wherein the policy response comprises throttling or blocking the user plane traffic associated with the control plane traffic. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The policy server of  claim 9 , comprising a further interface adapted for transmitting an assistance message to an application server involved in application traffic towards the at least one of the plurality of user equipments (UEs) connected to the RAN, wherein the assistance message is based on the load information. 
     
     
       11. The policy server of  claim 10 , wherein the assistance message is indicative of a request to change a traffic pattern between the at least one of the plurality of UEs, and the application server.